M.O.M.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Finding Peace in the Mayhem

One week till school starts.Of my three children, only one is in school.Our oldest daughter starts the 3rd
grade and the twins just turned
3, so I have another two years to go before they will start.I wish I was that mom that thought that
seemed too soon, but the truth is I’m looking forward to some peace during my
days.Since naptime is more of a fight
then it’s worth I stopped fighting.An earlier
bed time helps, but from sun up to sun down it’s constant noise.

I’m an only child to two working parents.My dad had a shop he worked in and my mom
was an avid reader… our house was quiet.When they had company we had ambient lighting and soft background
music… the house was always quiet.The
first 10-years of our marriage it was just my husband and I and though he
practiced the guitar daily he kept the amp low or played his acoustic.I was/am an avid reader… the house was
quiet.And just like my parents music
and lights are ambient... the house was always quiet.

When we had our first child things did get a little noisier,
but not by much, it was manageable.And she
napped which meant some peace during the day.She also slept all night from a very early age.The house was relatively quiet for one with a
child. But just one week before she started kindergarten I had the twins.Since then the only time the house has been
quiet is the two times my parents have taken all of them.Once for a long weekend and the last time was
Father’s Day week.And oh what heaven
that time was.I did miss them, especially
at bed time when I like to have us all under the same roof, but still… it
was much needed.

It’s been two months now, and I’m feeling the strain.I’m usually very slow to anger, but find I
have to take a deep breath before I respond to my children.I know harsh words last longer than loving
ones, so that breath gives my mind time to think and my mouth something to do
other than spit words I’ll regret.But
still there is a look that must cross my face, because all 3 children react, it’s
subtle, but it’s there.

We have a long weekend planned in just a few weeks and I’m looking
forward to it.But I can’t keep wishing my
days away hoping for time without my kids.I’ll look up one day and find I wished them all away and I won’t know or
appreciate my children for who they were, are and will be.I don’t want to be that mom.And the sad part is I know what I have to
do.

Even though it’s inevitable that one or all of the kids will
wake up when I try to have quiet time with the Lord, there is nothing that says
He can’t hear me in the noise and mayhem.If anything He stands closer to me during those times, I can just whisper
my prayer.And if I’m fortunate enough
my kids will quiet down just long enough to hear those words and realize that
peace is not a place or sound, but a moment in the presence of God.

4 comments:

My favorite post so far. I love the humorous ones but sometimes, it is nice to get to the heart of the matter:) blogs where the kids are pure fodder seem to be popular lately but I think we need to remember this stuff may haunt us one day when our kids can read them. good job on this one :)